


Into the Abyss

by gollymissmolly



Category: The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Genre: changes spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 15:21:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2393300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gollymissmolly/pseuds/gollymissmolly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Changes:  What if Molly picked up a Coin instead of being mentored by Lea?   Very short drabble on the subject.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into the Abyss

She couldn’t run any more.  Her leg hurt and every step threatened to bring her to her knees.  Her cane was no help— not when it came to long distance and endurance, or even  _speed_  for that matter… all it did was keep her on her feet, and barely that even.  Molly ground her teeth together, lurching into an alley, her fingers trembling from the cold and collapsed to the ground.  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten, or slept for more than a few scant hours, and the last rumble with Listen and gang had taken a lot out of her.

And now the Wardens had her trail.  

Molly scrambled back in the snow to push herself into a little alcove in the alley behind an old bar, huddling on the back stoop to get out of the snow, trying to make herself as small and as hidden as possible.  She couldn’t run, she couldn’t  _fight_ \- her only option left was to try to hide.

It took several nerve-wracking tries before she was able to pull up even the simplest veil, tears dripping down her cheeks and smearing dirty streaks down off her chin.  She wasn’t sure if they were from pain, or terror, or from knowing she was going to  _die_ , but she tried not to pay attention to them.   _  
_

The veil was shitty.  It didn’t even cover her tracks in the snow.  It was inelegant and obvious- like a shadow bent too far out of place to be natural- but it was all she had. She clutched her ragged clothes close to her and dropped her head onto her knees, trying not to sniff, not to cry, not to even  _breathe_.  There was still a chance that they wouldn’t see her- right?  There was still a chance they wouldn’t  _finally_  collect her head… wasn’t there?  There was always hope…  _right?_

She prayed.  Molly hadn’t prayed in a very long time, but she prayed now:

_Lord, I know we haven’t been on speaking terms recently, I know I’ve screwed up a lot.  I know I’m not worthy of any of Your help, but if You could— if You’d just… Lord please let me live.  I just want to live.  Please. **Please**.   If You’re there, just let them pass by, please.  Please help me. pleasepleaseplease…_

She held her breath, listening to the crunch of snow under boots, lifting her head just enough to peek out towards the entrance of the alley.

_ …pleasepleaseplease… _

She could see two pair of shoes, the hems of gray cloaks.  She could hear voices- she knew one was Carlos’, he was trying to give her time, but he had a partner with him, someone she didn’t recognize and who wouldn’t give up.

"I think she kept going, man."  Carlos.  Thank you, Carlos.

"The tracks in the snow lead down here- if you can’t stomach it, Ramirez, wait here and cover me."

No… no nono…  Maybe he still wouldn’t see her, maybe her veil wasn’t as bad as she thought, even if the spell felt more like swiss cheese than a blanket.

_ …pleasepleaseplease… _

As the footsteps drew closer, Molly buried her head under her arms.  There was still hope, wasn’t there?  There was still a chance… there had to be.  There had to still be  _something…_

She could hear the recognizable sound of a sword being drawn, and Molly look down in a panic, trying to find anything to defend herself with.

**_ …please… please… please… _ **

Just a few inches from where she sat lay an unassuming silver coin, etched with a strange looking, pseudo-hourglass sigil.  Her breath caught in her throat.  She didn’t have to be personally familiar to recognize one of the Coins- she had known about them since before she’d even known about  _magic_.    How did one of them get all the way out here…?

Footsteps crunched in the snow only a few yards away now, and Molly could see the Warden clearly.  An older man- probably Harry’s age- blonde and chiselled like an ex-Marine, his bearing said military training too, which may have been why he wouldn’t follow Carlos’ lead.  He had a mission, and he planned to accomplish it.

Molly could feel his suspicion rising (oh God no…) as he followed her tracks in the snow with his eyes, settling them on the stoop where they abruptly stopped.   He was focusing on her veil, and she could feel him picking it a part. She couldn’t hold it much longer, not under that level of scrutiny.  She ground her teeth together, fighting for more concentration, more energy, more  _life_ , but the Warden raised his sword, prepared to stab through the shadowy darkness of her veil and straight into  _her_.  

It was all she could do not to scream.

And in that moment she made a choice.  She wanted to  _live_.

Molly grabbed the Coin off the cold concrete and clutched it to her chest.

She closed her eyes and curled in on herself in anticipation of the Warden’s blow— and this time when she begged, it wasn’t to God.

_Help me_.


End file.
